With email subject lines being the first thing your subscribers see, they have to be compelling enough to make people want to open your emails. A good subject line uses concise language and creates a sense of urgency by limiting time or quantity, or exclusivity by using special words like “exclusive” or “early bird.”
Also, keep in mind that each platform has its limits for how long an email can be. On Gmail, for example, you can only send up to 612 characters; so if you’re planning on creating a complex call-to-action or asking users for information like their name or phone number in the subject line, it’s best not to do it here because there won’t be enough room for all of the text.
Here is how…
| Takeaways |
|---|
| – Craft subject lines that evoke curiosity. |
| – Use personalization to connect with recipients. |
| – Create a sense of urgency to prompt action. |
| – Keep subject lines concise and clear. |
| – Experiment with A/B testing for optimization. |
| – Tailor subject lines to your target audience. |
| – Avoid using misleading or clickbait-style subject lines. |
| – Incorporate emojis for added visual appeal. |
| – Segment your email list for more relevant subject lines. |
| – Test different lengths and formatting styles. |
1. Personalize The Subject Line
Here are three ways you can personalize your subject lines:
Personalizing the Subject Line: The easiest way to make an email more relevant for your reader is by using their name in the subject line. This is especially effective if you’ve recently met or spoken with them because then they’ll know that it’s from you!
Using a Tool like MailChimp:
If you use a tool like MailChimp, it might be able to help with this process by automatically inserting contact info into your signup forms (and other email templates) as well as creating segmented lists based on past actions taken by subscribers.
This means that when someone signs up for an offer, their information will be automatically added to a list and used to generate personalized emails based on what they’ve done before for example “Welcome back [firstname].”
Adding Meta Tags: If all else fails and there’s no automated option available then there are still ways we can go about doing this manually it just requires a little bit more work on our end but the benefit of doing so outweighs any negative consequences associated with having less automation at our disposal!
Building a deeper understanding of your customers’ needs is crucial for effective marketing. Learn how to get the clearest picture of what customers want from you by exploring our guide on understanding customer needs.
2. Lead With A Benefit
When you’re writing email subject lines, it’s important to lead with a benefit. This means you need to get straight to the point about what your reader can expect from your message.
Imagine an email that promised you “5 Ways To Make You A Better Person” (which is not an actual example). While this sounds like it could be helpful, when we look at it from the perspective of what people are searching for, we can see that something like “How To Be More Confident” or “Overcome Shyness” would be more likely to receive clicks than this vague promise of being better.
This rule also applies if you are offering advice in your call to action: rather than saying “10 Tips For Being A Better Person” try something like “8 Ways To Feel Happier Right Now.”
3. Ask A Question Or Tell Them What To Do
There’s a reason that the most popular subject lines are those that ask a question or tell the recipient what to do.
“What [question]?” inspires curiosity, so people will click to find out why they should care.
“[Question] in 3 easy steps” gives readers a sense of urgency and empowers them with knowledge (which is always good).
“[Directive]” coaxes people down your path by giving them an actionable thing to do next or, if you’re feeling cheeky, lead into the main benefit of your email by telling them how they’ll feel after they take this action.
Crafting compelling subject lines is essential for email marketing success. Discover techniques for writing subject lines that capture attention and drive clicks in our article on creating effective email subject lines.
4. Create Curiosity
The word “revealed,” for example, promises that something has been unveiled. It’s an effective way to grab someone’s attention if you want them to click through and find out what was revealed.
You can also use the word “secret” in your subject lines. This is a common strategy among journalists, who often hide their latest scoops behind a headline like, “The Secret About [Subject] That You Won’t Believe” or “[Subject] Never Told You: Here’s How I Got My Best Results Ever!”
These headlines are good examples of curiosity-inducing subjects because they promise readers something that they wouldn’t otherwise know about—and therefore might be interesting enough to click on and read the full article.
Market research plays a crucial role in shaping effective strategies. Discover why traditional market research approaches might be flawed and explore alternatives in our discussion about the challenges of market research.
5. Use Emojis
You’ve probably seen them before. Those little smiley faces, hearts, and other symbols appear in the subject lines of your emails.
Emojis are a way to make your email subject lines more appealing to your readers and help them remember you. Adding emojis to an unengaging subject line can increase its open rate by as much as 20%!
But one thing many people don’t realize about emoji use is that it’s not about following what everyone else is doing it’s about using the right emoji for your brand and audience. It’s important that you don’t overdo it with emojis (or any other trend) or it’ll come across as forced or insincere instead of enhancing the experience for your readers.
Conducting market research doesn’t have to be expensive. Learn how to gather valuable insights without breaking the bank by reading our guide on conducting cost-effective market research.
6. Offer Exclusivity With Words Like “Private” Or “Limited”
Next up, we have exclusivity.
Words that imply the email is exclusive and the reader is special: “exclusive,” “private,” or “limited.” The recipient might think, “I want in on this!” or “Wow! I’m being treated like a VIP!”
This tactic can work for certain kinds of businesses.
For example, if you’re selling dog toys online, you might send out a newsletter with the subject line “Dog toy sale!” Or maybe your company has a brand new product that’s launching soon and wants to offer free early access to customers who sign up for your mailing list. In this case, use words like “get” and “early access” in your subject lines.
Successful marketing starts with asking the right questions. Find out how to formulate questions that contribute to your marketing strategy in our post about asking impactful marketing questions.
7. Do A/B Testing On Different Subject Lines
Now that you’ve got a few subject lines in mind, it’s time to send them out for testing.
Write out different versions of the same subject line, using Mailchimp or another email tool with A/B testing capabilities.
Send each version to 10% of your email list (or however many people you think it makes sense) and monitor results over three days or so.
Use the best performing version as a template for future emails sent from your list but feel free to try new variations on the theme if they strike your fancy!
When sending an email, it is important to think of the subject line as the headline of the email.
When sending an email, it is important to think of the subject line as the headline of your message. A compelling subject line will increase your open rates and give your readers a clearer idea of what they can expect from your message.
Think about it this way: when you get new emails in your inbox, what makes you click on one? Is it because it’s from someone you like or trust? Or is it because they have something interesting to say? Maybe even both! Either way, all good headlines have those two things in common: they’re short and clear. They tell readers exactly what they’re going to get from reading this particular piece of content—and if done well enough, that’s all people need for them to click through!
When writing a subject line for an email campaign or general communication with customers/clients/colleagues (or whatever), keep these four tips in mind:
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you improve your email marketing strategies:
How to Improve Your Email Subject Line: Explore tips and best practices for creating captivating email subject lines that drive engagement.
Crafting Effective Email Subject Lines: 12 Tips & Examples: Learn from real-world examples and practical advice on crafting subject lines that resonate with your audience.
10 Subject Lines That Make Readers Click: Discover a variety of subject line approaches that can entice readers to open and engage with your emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best Way To Write An Email Subject Line?
The best subject lines are short and sweet, but they also need to be relevant to your audience.
If you’re trying to drive people back to your website, add a call-to-action that tells readers what they’ll find if they click on the link. For example: “Special offer: get 10% off now!” Or if you have new product announcements that interest readers, let them know by adding something like “New arrivals: check out our latest styles!”
What Are Some Examples Of Email Subject Lines?
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Just checking in.”
“Please send me $1,000.” (This is a joke.)
What Is The Best Way To Open An Email?
If you have a name and job title for the person you’re sending it to, use those in your greeting. For example: “Hi John Smith!” or “Hey John, how’s it going?”
If you don’t know their name or job title, just start with something easier like “Howdy” or even just leave off any salutation entirely and jump right into the body of your message. You can always add one later if they respond!
What Should I Keep In Mind When Writing An Email Subject Line?
Once upon a time, there was a company called Edison Mail that researched what makes people click on emails. Their findings were published by HubSpot as follows:
Why Is It Important To Think Of The Subject Line As The Headline Of The Email?
Because, like any other headline, your subject line will get the reader’s attention and entice them to click through. It’s also a chance for you to communicate something about yourself or your business so that readers know what they’re getting into when they open up your message.
What Is The Benefit Of Personalizedizing The Subject Line?
Personalization allows you to connect with your readers on an individual level by targeting them directly with information that is relevant to them. This results in higher open rates because people like knowing that you took time out of your day (or night) specifically for them!
What Is The Benefit Of Leading With A Benefit In The Subject Line?
Benefits are one way we can set ourselves apart from our competitors by showing customers why they should choose us over other similar products or services available online or offline today.”
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.